Life-preserving mattress



(NoModel.)

- A. A. YOUNG.

Life Preserving Mattress'.

No. 236,135. Patented Dec. 28,1880. Y

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N.PE1ERS. PHOTO-L TMQGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C. I

UNITED STATES PATENT BEIGE.

ALBERT A. YOUNG, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LIFE-PRESERVING MATTRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,135, dated December 28, IIS-8O.

Application filed July 19, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. YOUNG., of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Preserving Mattresses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to that class of lifepreserving mattresses in which air-filled elastic tubes are employed to buoy the same.

My invention consists in the combination, with a mattress, of a surrounding tube, loops lconnected to the tubes, and cords or straps connected with the loops, the construction and arrangement of which will be fully hereinafter described in detail.

In the accompanying plate of drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improved mat tress; Figs.. 2 and 3, sections on lines x .r and y y,respectively, of Fig. I; Fig. 4, a similar cross-section to Fig. 3, but showing a modification, and Fig. 5 a horizontal longitudinal section.

In the drawings, A A represent a mattress having a lling of hair, B, or of other suitable material, hair, however, being preferable incased within and inclosed by cloth a, all as ordinarily.

G is a continuous tube surroundin g the edges of the mattress A and closed at all points to the escape of the air Within it. This tube, with the mattress A, is incased within and inclosed by the cloth b, making a covering for the whole, which cloth b is of suitable size and shape therefor. The tube is fastened to the cloth b, and is thus made a part of the mat ress, by webbing or cords d, which surround it at suitable points of its length, and are tied or otherwise fastened to the cloth. The tube preferably is made of an elastic material, such as india-rubber, for obvious reasonsas, for instance, pliability, flexibility and elasticity, and lightness, although it may be made of inelastic material, such as metal.

The tube C, instead of being continuous, may be in separate parts, each part being closed, as described, and secured in position 5 and, again, the tube may be arranged within the body ot' themattress in lieu of around its edges, and in such arrangement be in several parts or in a continuous length, severally closed, as stated, and secured in place; butit is preferable to have the tube at and around the edge of the mattress, as it leaves the mattress otherwise intact for its ordinary uses.

The combination of a tube with a mattress, as above described, gives buoyancy to it and renders the mattress, as experiments have demonstrated, most excellently tted to the support 'from sinking in the water of many persons upon it, and thus to the preservation of lives in cases of accidents to vessels at sea.

Hair is preferable, as has been before said, for the filling of the mattress, for the reason that it acts as a ballast to the buoyancy of the air-tube of the mattress and holds the mattress against upsetting in the water when pulled upon or overweighted at either side or end, or when tossed about by the waves or roll of the sea. Materials other than hair, however, can be used as a filling for the mattress-as, for instance, sponge, cotton, straw, excelsior, cork, &c., and therefore it is not the intention to limit theA combination of an airtube with a mattress of any particular kind of filling.

Exteriorly the mattress A is provided with ropes lor straps f running about both of its iiat surfaces. These ropes or straps f in their length pass through eyes or,loops g, which are secured to the tubes, and the ends of the rope are tied or otherwise suitably fastened against escape.

Again, there are short catch ropes or straps h fastened to the eyes or loops g. These several ropes or straps furnish means by which persons may hold themselves upon the mattress, or tie themselves thereto or mattresses to each other.

The air-tube maybe lled with air to any desired degree of compression in the ordinary ways of filling air-Vessels.

In Fig. 5 the cloth a is shown as dispensed with and the hair lling B as lying in between the tubes. y

I am aware that a life-preserving mattress has been constructed of a series of longitudinal parallel air-tight tubes connected at one end to :t transverse air pouch or bug, the Whole and cords or straps connected with the loops, being' covered with a canvas easing; but such substantially as and for the purpose specified.

is not my invention, and is therefore dis- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set claimed. my hand in the presence of two subscribing 5 Having thus described my invention, what Witnesses.

netlnn, and desue to secule by Lettels Pztt- ALBERT A YOUNG.

In :t life-preserving` mattress, the oombina- XVitnesses: tion, with the mattress A, of the surrounding EDWIN W. BROWN,

1o tube G, the loops g secured to the said tube, VILLIAM S. BELLOWS. 

